Social News 31/8 Schools and houses damaged in Thanh Hoa landslides   Landslides triggered by torrential rains over the past two days have buried many houses and classrooms in the mountainous district of Quan Hoa in Thanh Hoa province. Ngo Phi Hung, head of the Quan Hoa district’s Department of Education and Training (DOET), said on August 30 that many classrooms of Trung Son Primary School were destroyed by cascades of mud. Luckily no fatalities or injuries have been reported as a result of the landslides as the pupils were allowed to stay at home due to the heavy rains. The DOET officials arrived on the scene to direct recovery works, while teachers are actively clearing mud and debris. Heavy rains also caused serious landslides in the communes of Trung Son and Trung Thanh on August 28. Two house collapsed under the weight of the mud while many others were damaged. Since the afternoon of August 28, the People’s Committees of Trung Thanh and Trung Son communes have worked to evacuate households in landslide-hit areas. The Quan Hoa district People’s Committee also sent a working group to inspect the landslide situation in the aforementioned communes and urgently implemented measures to cope with the current deluge, giving priority to moving local households out of dangerous areas. It offered VND1.5 million to families whose houses have collapsed, mobilized sources to help locals repair their houses and prepared food and other essential supplies for families which had been evacuated. Hạ Long – Hải Phòng Expressway and Bạch Đằng Bridge opens to traffic next month Bạch Đằng Bridge will help reduce the Hà Nội – Quảng Ninh distance from 175km to 125km. After three years of construction, the Hạ Long – Hải Phòng Expressway and Bạch Đằng Bridge will open to traffic on Saturday. As some supporting facilities are still being built, Quảng Ninh authorities have proposed reducing the maximum speed on the expressway to 80km per hour. Once the project has been fully approved, the speed limit will rise to the designed 100km per hour. Before the final project approval, only cars, buses and coaches can drive on the expressway. Expressway users will not have to pay toll fees as the project was funded by the State, but they will have to pay a bridge fee as it was constructed under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model. Built at a cost of VNĐ13 trillion (US$557 million), the 24.6km long Hạ Long – Hải Phòng Expressway connects Highway 18 in Hạ Long City’s Đại Yến Ward with the Hà Nội – Hải Phòng Expressway in Hải Phòng City’s Hải An District. Also built at a cost of VNĐ7.3 trillion ($313 million), the 5.4km long bridge, spanning the Bạch Đằng River, will help cut travel distance from Hà Nội to Quảng Ninh from 175km to 125km. The project will cut the distance between Hà Nội and Hạ Long from 180km to 130km and the Hạ Long – Hải Phòng route from 75km to 25km.  Mekong Delta to apply hi-tech to e-govt, global warming Delegates visit an exhibition on ICT products and solutions as part of the 22nd Việt Nam ICT Development conference that opened yesterday in Vĩnh Long Province. — Photo baovinhlong.com.vn The Mekong Delta provinces need to apply advanced technology in agriculture, human resources training, e-government and climate-change adaptation, experts said yesterday at a conference held in Vĩnh Long Province.  More than 700 delegates, including representatives from 55 businesses, from the information technology and communication (ICT) sector across the country took part in the 22nd Việt Nam ICT Development conference. With the theme “Industrial Revolution 4.0 - Opportunities for the Mekong Delta”, the conference focused on building e-government and adapting to climate change under the guidelines and orientation of the Party and State.  Nguyễn Thành Hưng, deputy minister of Information and Communications, said the Mekong Delta is the country’s biggest granary and a major economic centre with key products such as seafood, fruit and farm produce.  The region also has great potential for river tourism and the processing industry, he said, adding that some areas have not tapped their potential, including healthcare, education and high-quality human resources.  "The region is facing challenges related to climate change, including rising sea levels and severe salinity. Research and application of IT is inevitable for the country, especially the Mekong Delta,” he told the media. To take advantage of opportunities in the 4.0 industrial revolution, the PM last year issued a decision on furthering capacity-building to access advanced technologies, he said. The conference also acts as a forum for policymakers, managers and experts to share experiences and create opportunities for cooperation in the field of ICT.  Nguyễn Văn Quang, deputy secretary of the provincial Party Committee, who is also chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said the promotion of IT application helped Vĩnh Long Province improve administration at all levels and further administrative reform, as well as improve the investment environment. He said through the event the province was expected to develop guidelines and policies for ICT development, contributing to e-government and climate change adaptation.  The Ministry of Information and Communications now planned to develop a national programme to shift to digitalisation, he said.  “Speeding up the digital transformation process is an important step for Việt Nam to realise opportunities offered by the fourth industrial revolution,” he said.  At the meeting, a representative of the Government Office introduced the e-government building programme in the 2018-20 period with a vision to 2025. In the past few years, IT development and application in the province has received attention from the Party and State and has been identified as the major task of the entire political system. To take advantage of and overcome challenges brought about by the digital revolution, besides guidance from the State, the ICT community will play a major role.   On the sidelines of the conference, an ICT exhibition was held with the participation of 24 leading ICT companies. Other activities included incense offering to the late chairman of the Council of Ministers, Phạm Hùng, and donation of IT equipment to several units in the province, as well as visits to historical-cultural tourist sites in Vĩnh Long.  Road construction starts between Tây Ninh, Bình Dương provinces   The southern provinces of Tây Ninh and Bình Dương yesterday started building the new road ĐT 784 and upgrading the 782 – 784 existing road to better link the two provinces at total cost of VNĐ2 trillion (US$87.5 million). The ĐT 784 road will have a length of 13km with six lanes with VNĐ518 billion ($22.5 million) from Tây Ninh and VNĐ320 billion ($14 million) from Bình Dương Province. The 782-784 road will be expanded with six lanes at a length of 46km through Trảng Bàng, Gò Dầu and Dương Minh Châu districts and Tây Ninh City at total cost of VNĐ1,170 billion ($51 million) from Tây Ninh Province. The road connects with Bình Dương Province’s Đất Sét-Bến Củi road. The deputy chairman of Tây Ninh People’s Committee, Dương Văn Thắng, said: “They are key transportation projects which will meet the increase of goods transportation; attract more investment in trade, service and tourism; and promote socio-economic development between Tây Ninh and Bình Dương provinces.”  Main hall of Truc Lam-Phuong Hoang Zen Monastery inaugurated An aerial view of the Truc lam Phuong Hoang Zen Monastery.  An inauguration ceremony for the main hall of the Truc Lam-Phuong Hoang Zen Monastery in Nham Son commune, Yen Dung district, the northern province of Bac Giang, was held on August 29, with thousands of Buddhist followers in attendance.  The Buddhist Vu Lan festival for children to express their gratitude towards their parents also took place at the monastery on the occasion.  The main hall is part of the Truc Lam-Phuong Hoang Zen Monastery project’s first phase, which has been carried out with funds of 105 billion VND (over 4.5 million USD).  Speaking at the ceremony, Venerable Thich Kien Nguyet, head of the monastery, called for efforts from authorities, people and Buddhist followers for the second phase of the project, thus soon turning the monastery into a spiritual tourism destination of Bac Giang.  Construction of the monastery began on November 26, 2011. Since then, the monastery welcomed thousands of visitors, especially during Vesak and Vu Lan festivals, and other holidays.  Together with other cultural, sport and spiritual tourism sites in Yen Dung district, the Truc Lam-Phuong Hoang Zen Monastery is expected to significantly contribute to preserving and promoting traditional values and driving the economic, cultural and social development of the district. Khmer-Vietnam Association in Cambodia marks National Day   At the ceremony  The Khmer-Vietnamese Association (KVA) in Cambodia on August 29 held a ceremony to mark the 73rd anniversary of National Day (September 2) and the association’s 30th founding anniversary (1988-2018).  Addressing the event, KVA President Chau Van Chi said Vietnamese in Cambodia have always turned their hearts towards their homeland while integrating into the host society.  He stressed the support of the Vietnamese State and people at home, as well as authorities and Khmer people in Cambodia for the development of the Vietnamese community in the country.  Chi said the association was recognised by Cambodia’s Interior Ministry on May 9, 2018, with its charter registered and preserved at the ministry.  Based in the Cambodian capital city of Phnom Penh, the association gathers Khmer people of Vietnamese origin, and Vietnamese who work and live in Cambodia legally.  Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Men Saman, who is also Minister of National Assembly-Senate Relations and Inspection and President of the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Association, highlighted the historical significance of Vietnam’s National Day, considering it a victory of Indochinese countries during the struggle against colonialists to gain independence.  She also recalled the great support of the Vietnamese Party, State and people for Cambodia in the fight against the Khmer Rouge genocidal regime, as well as during the present cause of national development.  The official expressed her belief that the two sides will continue to work together for peace, stability and prosperity in each nation.  Men Saman lauded the contributions by the KVA and the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association (VCFA) to enhancing the friendship between the two countries.  At the ceremony, VCFA President Vu Mao presented certificates of merit to the KVA and its seven officials in recognition of their contributions to the development of the Vietnamese community in Cambodia and bilateral ties. Winners of press awards on natural resources, environment announced The fourth Press Awards on Natural Resources and Environment are presented on August 28   Winners of the fourth Press Awards on Natural Resources and Environment were announced at a ceremony held in Hanoi on August 28 by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE). At the ceremony, the organising board presented prizes to 29 authors and groups of authors, including five A prizes, six B prizes, and 18 C prizes for the most outstanding works in the categories of printed media, television, radio, and online media. Addressing the event, MoNRE Minister Tran Hong Ha highly valued the winning works, while stressing the press awards continued affirming the position and role of the environment and natural resources sector in the country’s industrialisation, modernisation and sustainable development. This year’s awards drew an enthusiastic response, with 505 submissions from 128 authors and groups of authors from 78 press agencies nationwide sent to the organising committee. State management on land and environmental protection were among the topics that received the most coverage by journalists. The Press Awards on Natural Resources and Environment has been held since 2010.  The fourth edition of the awards focused on the major topics of detecting and reflecting shortcomings in the promulgation and implementation of policies and laws, negative acts, hot spots and violations of the legislation on natural resources and environment; strengthening administrative reforms on natural resources and the environment; and transforming the development model and proposing measures to stabilise people’s livelihoods in response to climate change. Project to give healthcare, rehabilitation support to AO victims   The Ministry of Health launched a project on August 29, providing specific healthcare services and rehabilitation therapy to dioxin/Agent Orange (AO) victims for the 2018-2021 period. Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Viet Tien said that although the war ended 43 years ago, the toxic chemicals that the US army sprayed over Vietnam have left enduring pains and wounds, affecting millions of Vietnamese people and their offspring. Vietnam has approximately 4.8 million AO victims, millions of whom are also struggling with disease and poverty, in desperate need of healthcare and rehabilitation support.  Tien stressed that as part of efforts to implement the Party and Government’s policies to deal with AO consequences and support AO victims, the health ministry issued Decision No. 5305/QD-BYT on November 24, 2017 which approved a project to care for victims in the 2018-2021 period. The project aims to improve the health and living quality of victims, helping them better integrate into society through measures to timely diagnose and treat their health problems; enhance the capacity of healthcare facilities and communities; and expand networks that provide healthcare and rehabilitation services for AO victims and people with disabilities. Head of the ministry’s Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Management, Luong Ngoc Khue, said that initially, the project plans to cover 10 provinces and cities – namely Lao Cai, Thai Nguyen, Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Quang Nam, Binh Dinh, Dong Thap, and Ben Tre – at a total cost of 72.3 billion VND, mostly from the State budget. However, on August 2, 2018, the ministry decided to add Ha Tinh into the list, raising total localities benefiting from the project to 11 and total capital to 76.16 billion VND. Within the project, the ministry will hold training courses for concerned localities and agencies on diseases and deformities related to AO, methods to verify chemical infection, and financial issues during the implementation of the project. Entries invited for photo contest on primary healthcare in Vietnam At the launching ceremony.  Invitations are now open for a photography competition among both Vietnamese and foreigners to promote primary healthcare for people in Vietnam. The competition was launched by Radio The Voice of Vietnam (VoV), the European Union delegation to Vietnam, the World Bank, and the Ministry of Health in Hanoi on August 29. The contest aims to raise public awareness of the importance of primary health workers at grass-root medical stations and their contribution to improving the wellbeing of Vietnamese people, particularly ethnic minority groups and those living in disadvantaged areas, Editor-in-chief of VoV Online Newspaper Pham Manh Hung told the launching event. It will also provide an insight into what the EU delegation to Vietnam has done to support the delivery of primary care services for people across the country, he said. Both amateur and professional, and Vietnamese and foreign photographers living in Vietnam are encouraged to participate in the competition. The participants can submit colour or black-and-white photos with a maximum file size of 4,000 pixels and no less than 4MB, with a resolution of 300 dpi (dots per inch).  They can submit either a single or a series of photos that capture different aspects of public primary medical service delivery, especially those living in disadvantaged areas including the provinces of Ha Giang, Cao Bang, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Bac Kan, Lang Son, and others. Any photograph taken since the 1978 adoption of the Declaration of Alma-Ata on primary healthcare will be acceptable. There is no limit to the number of photos submitted by each photographer. The contest will award one first, two second, and three third and five consolation prizes with payouts of 50 million VND, 20 million VND, 5 million VND and 2 million VND, respectively. The organizing board will receive the photos directly at VoV Online Newspaper, 43 Ba Trieu Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, or by post from September 1 to October 15, 2018. Online submission must be sent to cuocthianhvov.vn@gmail.com during that time.  The award ceremony will take place in October where the winning photos will be exhibited.  Vietnam deems climate change adaptation mandatory for survival: official Vietnam is a country vulnerable to the effects of climate change and as such, it considers adaptation a mandatory requirement to survive, said an official of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE). The remark was made by Pham Van Tan, Deputy Director of the MoNRE’s Department of Climate Change, at a consultation workshop on a technical report that reviewed and updated Vietnam’s nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement on climate change. The event aimed to provide up-to-date information on the country’s efforts and contributions towards climate change adaptation and reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for 2021-2030. Vietnam is joining the international community in realising the Paris Agreement, which aims to keep this century’s global temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Through these actions, it also hopes to fulfil the obligations of a developing nation member of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and make use of opportunities to develop a low-carbon economy. MoNRE Deputy Minister Le Cong Thanh said the ministry has set up a working group to review and update Vietnam’s NCDs. An advisory team has also been mobilised to coordinate with the working group. Akiko Fujii, Deputy Country Director of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Vietnam, said relevant ministries and sectors, researchers, the media, and civil organisations all play a very important role in finalising and assessing technical reports on NCDs. The UNDP is coordinating with the MoNRE and relevant ministries to improve the country’s report assessment capacity. Pham Van Tan said reports on NCDs must feature significant, detailed content relating to the responsibilities and activities of almost all ministries, sectors, localities, and businesses. Therefore, although there have been updates to this term’s NCD review compared to the previous review, they are simply not enough. At the workshop, participants discussed climate change-related issues to help finalise the report. The event was held by the MoNRE, the UNDP, and the German organisation for international cooperation GIZ.  Vietnam attends smart city development seminar in Netherlands    A corner of My Dinh new urban area  A working delegation from the Ministry of Construction led by Deputy Minister Phan Thi My Linh attended a seminar on building smart, green and energy-saving cities of the Netherlands held in The Hague on August 28. Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to the Netherlands Ngo Thi Hoa hailed the Netherlands as one of the pioneer countries globally to develop smart cities, saying that its experience will be helpful to Vietnam in the process. She believed that the seminar will provide valuable information and meet the interest of Vietnam. Dutch experts from ministries, institutes and businesses presented national strategy and solutions to issues regarding smart city development. The Vietnamese delegation discussed with Dutch experts about standards, regulations, policies and data sharing to this end. Concluding the event, Deputy Minister Linh spoke highly of discussions at the event which, she said, are helpful to Vietnam in construction management. While in the Netherlands, the delegation learned about the model of airport city in Amsterdam, held working sessions with authorities of Noord Brabant province and Eindhoven city, discussed Eindhoven smart city model and signed a cooperation agreement with the city. Vietnamese youth union leader wants more exchanges with Cambodia    HCMCYU First Secretary Le Quoc Phong presents gift to Cambodian delegation First Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMCYU) Central Committee and Chairman of the Vietnam Youth Federation (VYF) Le Quoc Phong asked for promoting exchanges between the two countries’ youth during talks with President of the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia (UYFC) Hun Many in Hanoi on August 29. Phong informed his guest about major activities of the Vietnamese youth over the past years and VYF’s orientations in the next period, saying that the 11th National Congress of the HCMCYU was held successfully in late 2017. He said in the next five years, the VYF will launch three major campaigns, namely voluntary youth, creative youth and vanguard youth in national defence, and three programmes accompanying young people in study, start-ups and social skill improvement. The host suggested promoting the exchange of voluntary youths in localities of each side, especially in border provinces, offering mutual support in personnel training and at regional and global forums, and signing cooperation agreements for the new period. Many, for his part, said UYFC chapters at all levels have raised young people’s awareness of their role in working for Cambodian people, abiding by law, and striving to become a core force of Cambodia. He said in the near future, the UYFC will step up voluntary youth movement; form links with domestic and foreign organisations, communities and youth unions; ensure security, safety, legal justice and freedom for young people; add their demand into all-level development programmes; and hold vocational training courses on science-technology and social skills for them. Tourist arrivals to Da Nang expected to surge during National Day holiday   Da Nang beach  Tourist arrivals to the central city of Da Nang are estimated to hit 158,000 people during the upcoming National Day holiday, which falls on the weekend of September 1-3. The figure represented a year-on-year increase of 10.4 percent, according to the municipal Department of Tourism. Of the number, there will be around 109,000 domestic and 48,700 foreign holidaymakers. About 25,520 visitors are projected to fly to the city on 143 flights, rising 80.9 percent compared to the same period last year. The city’s tourist destinations are likely to welcome more than 111,200 visitors during the weekend holiday, including 29,570 international and 81,662 domestic tourists. According to the municipal Department of Tourism, the number of visitors to the city has been increasing with an annual average growth of 20.06 percent over the 2013-2017 period. Da Nang welcomed more than 4 million tourists in the first half of 2018, surging by almost 30 percent year-on-year. Notably, vacationers from the RoK shot up by 100 percent to account for half of the over 1.6 million foreign arrivals in the city during the period. Da Nang is a popular tourist destination in central Vietnam. The online marketplace and hospitality service Airbnb announced a list of the world’s top 10 destinations for 2018, in which the city ranked fifth in booking surges of up to 255 percent. Additionally, the Da Nang International Airport was ranked third amongst the top global airports in 2014, according to a survey by Dragon Air.  VNN